The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, breathing-related disability, and lower back disability are granted. The Veteran is denied for higher initial ratings or earlier effective dates for her service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder as it was proximately due to her service-connected disabilities. Her bilateral hip and knee disabilities were also granted based on new and material evidence. However, she is denied for higher initial ratings or earlier effective dates for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, breathing problems, lower back disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability with shin splints, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18145286
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 18145286.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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